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Interior Department Announces Appointments to NGAC

Secretary Salazar Appoints 15 Members to National Geospatial Advisory Committee

February 15, 2011

WASHINGTON, DC – Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar has appointed
15 individuals to serve as members of the National Geospatial Advisory
Committee (NGAC), which provides recommendations on federal geospatial
policy and management issues and advice on development of the National
Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI). The NSDI promotes sharing of
geospatial data throughout all levels of government, the private and
non-profit sectors, and the academic community.

The new appointees to three-year terms on the NGAC are:

* Mr. Dick Clark, State of Montana

* Mr. Jack Dangermond, ESRI

Ms. Joanne Irene Gabrynowicz, University of Mississippi

* Dr. Jerry Johnston, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Ms. Laurie Kurilla, Ventura County, CA

Dr. E. Donald McKay, State of Illinois

* Ms. Anne Hale Miglarese, Booz Allen Hamilton

Dr. Timothy Nyerges, University of Washington

* Mr. Matt O’Connell, GeoEye

Mr. Pat Olson, Aero-Metric, Inc.

Mr. Mark Reichardt, Open Geospatial Consortium

Mr. Anthony Spicci, State of Missouri

Mr. Gary Thompson, State of North Carolina

Mr. Gene Trobia, State of Arizona

Mr. David Wyatt, Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians

* Re-appointed to a second term on the NGAC.

The NGAC provides a forum to convey views representative of partners in
the geospatial community. The members of the NGAC report to the chair
of the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC), which is the Federal
interagency executive group responsible for providing leadership and
direction in Federal geospatial programs. The FGDC is chaired by the
Secretary
of the Interior or the Secretary’s designee.

The NGAC meets three to four times per year. The public is invited
to comment and make suggestions at all committee meetings, which will
be announced by publication in the Federal Register at least 15 days
before the meeting date. The U.S. Geological Survey, a bureau of the
Department of the Interior, provides support services for the NGAC. The
NGAC functions
solely as an advisory body.

Geospatial data and products, including maps, simulations, and
databases, are invaluable tools in the effective management of utility
infrastructures, transportation, energy, emergency management and
response, natural resource management, climate analysis, disaster
recovery, homeland defense, law enforcement, protection planning and
other civilian or military strategic
issues. The newly-appointed members of the NGAC represent the varied
interests associated with geospatial programs and technology.

The NGAC was created under the Federal Advisory Committee Act, which
was enacted by Congress in 1972 to ensure that advice rendered to the
executive branch by advisory committees, task forces, boards, and
commissions formed by Congress and the President, be both objective and
accessible to the public. The Act formalized a process for
establishing, operating,
overseeing, and terminating these advisory bodies.

Additional information about the NGAC, including a complete list of
the 28 committee members, is available at www.fgdc.gov/ngac.